The Truth Behind Travel Blogging: Belgium’s Sigrid Rijckoort Breaks Down the Reality of Living the Dream - Part 1/2

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Publisher’s Note:

As the publisher of this blog, I want to share a little background about this article. Recently, we began collaborating with Sigrid Rijckoort, who has also written her first article for us. While discussing our projects and ideas, I found myself deeply intrigued by her determined commitment to her blog and her authentic approach to storytelling. This curiosity led to the idea of conducting this interview.

This article takes a slightly different direction from our usual content, where we often suggest swimwear and share fashion tips. Instead, it delves into Sigrid’s philosophy and lifestyle, offering a personal glimpse into her journey as a travel blogger. To maintain the focus on her inspiring story, we decided not to include any swimwear promotions in this piece.

We are also incredibly thankful to our editor, Julia Bratu, for conducting this interview while she was traveling in Thailand, ensuring we could bring Sigrid’s story to you.

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In the often glossy and hyper-curated world of travel influencing, Sigrid Rijckoort stands out like a breath of fresh air. As the co-founder of Travel Reasons , she's carved out her own niche by keeping it refreshingly real while sharing her global adventures. 

Sigrid has built a dedicated following through inspirational travel stories, breathtaking photography, and practical tips that make far-flung destinations feel both dreamlike and accessible to everyone. 

When we sat down with her to discuss her journey, her down-to-earth charm immediately made it clear why her audience connects with her so deeply.

Image Credit:Travel Reasons

Image Credit:Travel Reasons

Image Credit:Travel Reasons

Part 1 - The Realities, Sacrifices, and Inspiration Behind Sigrid’s Blogging Career

What Inspired You to Start Making Travel Content?

I never started with it by thinking, “Yeah, let’s start making travel content!” But back in 2017, when I started the blog, I went on a long trip to the US and Mexico with Bryan (co-founder of Travel Reasons), and we wanted to update our friends and family at home about our travels, so we started a blog.

Then Instagram came, and of course, we needed to post more pictures. It wasn’t to start a travel account, because I was using Instagram for personal reasons at first.

Traveling was always special for me because I didn’t do it that often as a child. I had this urge to escape after I graduated and saved up some money, so that’s how it started.  

I started doing it for myself because I love photography, holidays, traveling, and new cultures. So, I think that is how it organically grew. 

What aspects of this lifestyle don’t make their way to social media?

I share quite a lot, but I try to keep it travel-related because I always say people don’t follow me because of “me.” They follow me because of the travel I do and the inspiration I give—travel tips, photography, and beautiful destinations. 

I keep certain topics close, like private life. But I’m trying to incorporate them more, like relationships, friendships, living situations, and these kinds of things. But it doesn’t feel natural for me to share because I have only shared my travels over the years.

Sometimes I talk about health, too. In the past, I talked about politics, but I don’t talk about politics anymore because I think people who follow me want to escape a little bit. They don’t want reality checks or harsh, cruel things. They want to dream and be inspired. 

But I’m still human. I have my opinions, and I have this audience, so I want to talk about more difficult topics when I can because, as a person, I’m passionate about them. It would be weird not to share anything about them at all. 

It has to be quite difficult to find that balance, too. Because you have a formula that you’ve built that works really well for you and you never know how people will react to new content. 

Exactly. So far, I have been safe from really negative or hateful comments, but as soon as I post something about a topic that people have a strong opinion on, I see reactions flowing in. 

It engages people as well, but I’m not ready to get all this hate as well. Nobody likes to be attacked. I like to have conversations with people with different opinions, but the internet can be a dark place sometimes, so I don’t want to go there.

I think most people can empathize with that. For the next question, can you share your transition from your previous career to becoming a travel content creator?

It was a long way, is one thing I can say. Before this, I worked as a social healthcare worker because I have a degree in that. I worked for 2 or 3 years in that field and saved up some money to travel. I noticed soon enough that it was not the thing I wanted to do until I was 70 and retired, so Bryan and I decided that we wanted to go on an adventure.

We quit our jobs and traveled for 3 months to the US and Mexico with the money we saved.  We learned more about life and discussed our lifestyle, and then afterward I went back to work, but it was always short contracts to save money to travel again.

During COVID, we rebranded the blog with a new website and it went even better. So it was a good time to work on the blog ourselves, and it was like a fresh start with a new name and a new brand. 

So it’s not that it was a super big company right away. Some people think that influencers are millionaires or something, but even now it’s not the case. You make little amounts of money because being self-employed you have so many costs. Although it's still a small business it makes me happy and I get to see the world.

It sounds like it was a lot of work and sacrifice. What are some other misconceptions that people have about your job?

The first one is that people think it’s all about traveling and having this luxurious lifestyle. It’s true that when I’m traveling it is luxurious. You get the best hotels and activities at the most beautiful destinations. People also treat you well. 

But besides that, you live a double life because you go and everything is elegant, then you come back home and everything is so normal.

Some months you have a big income and some months you almost have none, so you have to save a lot of money and that’s what some people don’t see. Financial insecurity is definitely something nobody talks about, but it is the case. 

I think it’s like this for every freelancer, but especially in the travel industry. Like fashion influencers, they can make money all year round. They’re not as affected by seasons, for example. As seasonal workers, in the winter there are almost no collabs at all and summertime is super busy. 

So those are some negative parts about being a travel blogger in this industry.

Image Credit:@sigridofthesun

Image Credit:Travel Reasons

Image Credit:@sigridofthesun

Image Credit:@sigridofthesun

There is definitely a downside to almost any job, but I can see how you have to push through the off-season to maintain relevance. 

There’s also a lot of work that people don’t see behind the scenes. It’s not only writing or posting, there’s so much more. You have to stay up to date and there’s a lot of competition. I sometimes struggle to try not to feel down if someone else is getting more collabs or a better bonus. 

There are a lot of emotions involved, too. It’s a hard business and you know your value, but you have to sell it to people too. That’s not always the easiest part.

Can you share a pivotal moment that convinced you this lifestyle was possible for you?

Yes, I remember one of the first travel bloggers I followed on Instagram was Aggie Lal .

I followed a few people like her, and they actually inspired me. I was just seeing these US-based girls getting paid to travel—and I think everybody has these examples—but for me, they’re not really examples but inspiration because I never thought that me coming from small Belgium could possibly reach those goals, so I never set them at the beginning. 

But then our blog started to develop and we saw some people in Belgium also doing this as a job. It became more known as something you could earn money with. So, I started developing more skills. I think that was the first point where I saw that it was possible to do this as a job. 

Of course, it’s not as easy as it sounds. You have to be a little bit lucky, too. And I know it’s not for everybody, so I was quite sober in this process, thinking that maybe it’s possible.

Instagram, TikTok, and other social platforms have been incredible vectors influencing each other and convincing them that they can do more unconventional work. 

Yes, absolutely. But it’s also a little bit dangerous because young people often think, “yeah, I don’t have to study anymore. I don’t have to go to school because I can be an influencer.” 

But it’s more than that. Nowadays it is quite easy to become an influencer, but making money from it is something else. You can have lots of followers but not make an income, so you have to be a little bit smart and kind of a business person as well to make it happen. It’s a good thing that it exists, but some young people are a bit misled that anything can happen and they can become the next big star. 

But still, you can be inspired by TikTok and Instagram, and there is a lot more to do with your life than the usual 9-5. 

Read More About Sigrid’s Adventures in Part 2 - Beyond the Perfect Feed

It’s easy to see why Sigrid has resonated with so many travel enthusiasts in Belgium and across the world. Her approach to content creation isn't about showcasing an unattainable lifestyle–it's about sharing a dream and a passion for the world with others. 

Sigrid continues to inspire aspirational travelers through the genuine connections and practical wisdom she shares along the way. In a digital landscape often criticized for its artificiality, Sigrid's natural authenticity feels like exactly what the travel community needs right now. In the next part, Sigrid will share some stories from her travels and offer advice to anyone who wants to chase the travel influencer lifestyle. 

You can find Sigrid on Instagram @sigridofthesun and her blog, Travel Reasons .